The No. 16 Iowa Hawkeyes punctuated their seventh straight winning season with a 49-24 Holiday Bowl victory over the No. 22 USC Trojans at SDCCU Stadium in San Diego Friday night.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair until Iowa went up 28-14 with 1:18 left to halftime when senior quarterback Nate Stanley hit receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette for a 12-yard touchdown. USC was able to tack on a field goal before heading to the locker room.
The Trojans looked to be shifting momentum to begin the second half when running back Stephen Carr ran in a two-yard score to make it 28-24.